Cold Rain
by finite
Summary: SLASH- mild m/m. Does Harry make the difference?


A/N: WARNING: This contains some SLASH material.  
  
Ha! Now that you have been warned, you can only blame yourself for getting offended.  
  
  
  
  
Cold Rain  
(mild slash)  
  
  
Ron could just make out the tree in the distance. There it was- a flood of memories. With shock, he realised just how significant it was- how much it represented to him. It was a personal place, full of secrets beneath that dome of sweeping branches. He found something there that could never be replaced, not even now, a decade after that incident- the thing that changed something inside him.  
  
He approached it like an old friend- his shyness was overcome by old feelings. His arm swept away the branches lightly, to reveal the same old scene, unchanged after all these years. But Ron had changed. His once young soul had now been touched with some new kind of wisdom and consequently a deep hollow sorrow, that could never be undone. There was a price to pay for knowledge.  
  
He lowered himself to the ground, his back against the rough bark of the trunk. Almost ten years to the day…It had been a morning like this. He had been under this very willow and in the middle of a passionate kiss…  
  
  
  
"Ron" A groaning voice- hoarse with lust.  
  
An answering groan…"mmm"  
  
"We need to get back"  
  
Draco pulled back, breathing heavily. His arms were still looped around Ron's waist.  
  
"I love you Draco"  
  
Draco gazed deeply into Ron's blue eyes.  
  
"I know you do. And I love you so much that I feel I might burst"  
  
Ron smiled and rested his head on Draco's shoulder. A muffled voice…"But this may be the last time…"  
  
"We're going to have to say good bye properly then." Draco's eyes shone mischievously.  
  
Their lips brushed lightly at first, and soon they were drowning in their desire.  
  
"Ron, Ron are you there?!"  
  
Hermione's voice was carried by the wind. It was unnaturally high and piercing.  
  
They jumped apart.  
  
"Quick, into the forest." Ron urged while handing the other boy his cloak and pushing him in the direction of the Forbidden Forest.  
  
As Ron turned away from Draco's retreating figure, he saw Hermione peek tentatively through the branches on the other side.  
  
Hermione ran to him, and collapsed into his arms.  
  
"Ron! Ron…it's Harry…"  
  
"What about Harry?" Ron said carefully, fearing to think.  
  
"He's gone."  
  
"Gone where."  
  
"Gone Ron…. Harry died just now." She was sobbing uncontrollably into Ron's robes.  
  
Ron was speechless. They embraced each other for several minutes.  
  
"Aren't you going to say anything?" She accused angrily stepping back from him. "How can you be so cool about it? Did he mean nothing to you?"  
  
Ron continued to stare pensive and tearless.  
  
"You don't care do you? All you're interested in is Malfoy!"  
  
This got a reaction out of him. He turned ghost white.  
  
"You knew."  
  
"Of course I knew. How could anyone miss those dreamy stares at him and the exchange of notes...And I saw him leave just now"  
  
"Did Harry know?" Ron stumbled slightly over Harry. Hermione noticed this and softened slightly.  
  
"No Ron, Harry never knew. I made sure he never found out…he would have never…" She stopped.  
  
They were silent once more.  
  
Ron turned away and sat, as he often did, against the trunk. Hermione was just about to say something, but changed her mind, took the hint, and left him to his own thoughts.  
  
His mind was blank. He just couldn't seem to focus.  
  
Harry was dead. His Harry…his best friend, who had always been there for him, since they first met.  
  
Harry. He had been kind, and giving, and loyal. But he would never forgive Ron…and he never had the chance. Ron could never have Harry's blessing now for his 'illegal' relationship with Draco. It was all gone.  
  
Harry had overcome the Dark Lord in one of the largest battles in wizarding history, but he had not come away unharmed. His health had been steadily declining over the few days he spent in the infirmary. His last days.   
  
Ron sat there for a while longer. And it began to rain.  
  
Draco appeared an hour later, his face framed by the leaves. "Ron…is it safe?"  
  
Ron didn't look up. "Harry's dead." He whispered.  
  
Draco closed the space between them and pulled Ron towards him in a tight hug.  
  
"No." Ron broke away. "We can't do this."  
  
Draco looked immensely hurt.  
  
"Ron. Let me help."  
  
"You can't help. This has to end."  
  
"You don't love me?"  
  
"You know I do. But this has to stop."  
  
"Is it Harry?"  
  
No reply.  
  
"It is, isn't it."  
  
"He never knew about us Draco. He never would have forgiven me for this."  
  
"For what Ron?!! For loving someone? For letting someone love you back?!"  
  
Ron lifted his head, and looked the other boy straight in the eye.  
  
"I can't live with this."  
  
"That's it?! This is the end?"  
  
Again no reply.  
  
"I can't believe this is it. This was not how it was meant to end!" With that outburst, Draco fled back into the forest, his eyes streaming. Ron did not try to follow him.  
  
  
  
That was the end. The end of everything that made up Ron's life. His youth, his happiness and Hogwarts was left behind on that day. It had been an awful summer that year- so soon after the death. Oh…and the loss of Draco. He had never returned to Ron. He disappeared into the Forbidden Forest that day. And although many search parties had attempted his rescue, it seemed that he did not want to be found.   
  
It was still so clear- that feeling of hopelessness. No Harry. No Draco.  
  
Outside, a decade later, it began to rain.  
  
The calm morning disturbed, Ron could feel and smell the rain around him. It was like the many times it had rained and he had taken shelter under this tree. It was like that one time. That one morning.   
  
Ron stood up. He refused to hide anymore…  
  
He stepped out to meet the deep pain- cold rain.  
  
  
  
  
Enveloping you.  
Numbing you.  
Heavy-Leaden.  
  
Like dense air.  
Like deep pain-  
Cold rain.  
  
  
  
A/N: Depressing?? Sorry about those pathetic poems…I'm addicted. Thanks for the reviews of my other fics:  
  
('Disconnected'  
'An Advancement of Learning'  
'Darkness Visible'  
'Surreal??- La Condition Humaine')  
  
finite : )  



End file.
